West Side businesses to be showcased at expo

West Side businesses to be showcased at expo
West Side Main Street hosting after-hours event and business expo

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Experience the best of Charleston’s West Side businesses at the West Side After-Hours and Business Expo on Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 5-7 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, located at 404 Virginia Street West in Charleston. The event is hosted by Charleston West Side Main Street (WSMS). 

“This event will be a great way for the community to experience what our businesses here on the West Side are offering,” says Stephanie Johnson, executive director of West Side Main Street, a program of West Virginia State University Extension Service. “This district is undergoing some exciting changes, and we want the community to come be a part of the action.” 

Among the changes currently being led by WSMS include the recently founded West Side Development Corporation, which will allow the organization to acquire and renovate buildings. Community events such as the recent West Side Weiner Dog Races, the West Side Famers Market and the upcoming OktoberWest continue to bring together residents from the West Side and all over the Kanawha Valley.  

A program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street capitalizes on a community’s history and resources to tackle the complex issue of revitalizing once-booming downtown neighborhoods. Launched in 2005 by West Virginia State University Extension Service, WSMS is unique in that it is the only Main Street program in the nation imbedded within a university extension service.  

The West Side After-Hours and Business Expo will provide a chance for small business owners to exhibit their wares and reach new customers. The expo is free to attend. Food and beverages will be available.-